Disclosed is an earbud including a head housing configured for insertion into a user's auricle and having a sound emitting hole, and a stick housing extending downward from the head housing, wherein the stick housing is inclined inward.

The present invention is directed to a headphone or an earpiece that includes a cushion that advantageously allows for improved comfort, sound quality, and stability in the ear. The cushion includes an inner cavity, an ear-canal aperture and a tip portion, wherein the inner cavity of the cushion accommodates a nozzle portion of a housing within the cavity, and the axis of the inner cavity is substantially parallel to the first axis, and wherein the ear-canal aperture opens toward the ear canal of the user's ear when the headphone or the earpiece is worn by the user. A speaker element is positioned inside the nozzle portion of the housing, and the center of mass of the headphone is shifted close to a center plane of the cushion.

An analysis system has at least one monitoring assembly that includes at least one microphone to monitor an acoustic field proximate the monitoring assembly. The at least one microphone produces at least one microphone signal responsive to the acoustic field. The analysis system further includes a data storage device configured to buffer the at least one microphone signal and an audio analysis system configured to analyze a content of the data storage device where the audio analysis system is configured to analyze the content of the buffer to process at least a sound into a response or action.

An in-ear noise dosimeter in the form of an earplug which senses sound in the ear canal using an eartip which has a sound delivery channel that couples sound at the end closest to the eardrum to an earplug microphone. The earplug can communicate wirelessly with a remote data collection and processing system. A dock unit for storing the earplugs when not worn can compensate for differences in unoccluded-ear versus occluded-ear responses by an acoustic compensator. An electronic compensation filter can be modified by a proximity switch in the earplug which changes state when the earplug is worn in the ear versus stored in a dock unit. The dosimeter can also have a temperature sensor for sensing human body temperature and remotely-located wireless LEDs used to alert the user of high noise dosage. Data can also be downloaded from the earplug using a reader unit.

A method and device for detecting whether a headset is on ear. Microphone signals from a plurality of microphones are used to derive a plurality of signal feature measures, which are normalized to a common reference scale. The signal feature measures are weighted based upon detected signal conditions in the microphone signals. The normalized and variably weighted signal feature measures are then combined to produce an output indication of whether a headset is on ear.

The disclosure relates to a hearing device comprising a housing surrounding a venting channel comprising a valve member moveable relative to the venting channel between different positions comprising a first valve position and a second valve position, an actuator configured to provide an actuation force with a direction and a magnitude acting on the valve member, and a controller a controller configured to provide a first control signal controlling the actuator to provide the actuation force in a first direction, and to provide a second control signal controlling the actuator to provide the actuation force in a second direction. The disclosure further relates to a method of operating such a hearing device.

A method for detecting wrong positioning of an earphone, and an electronic device and storage medium therefor are provided. The electronic device includes a speaker positioned on surface of a housing; and at least one processor configured to determine a positioning state of an earphone detachably connectable to the electronic device based on a difference between a first audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a first body of the earphone and a second audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone.

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of generating preferred dynamic range function to process audio reproduced by an earphone device. The function includes processing the audio to improve speech intelligibility. The function is acquired with a self-administered hearing test.

An ultrasonic proximity sensor can determine one or more characteristics of a local environment. For example, the sensor can emit an ultrasonic signal into a local environment and can receive an ultrasonic signal from the local environment. From a measure of correlation between the emitted and the received signals, the sensor can classify the local environment. By way of example, such a sensor can assess whether an in-ear earphone is positioned in a user's ear. A media device in communication with the sensor can transmit an audio signal to the earphone for audio playback responsive to a determination by the sensor that the earphone is in the user's ear and can redirect the audio signal to another playback device responsive to a determination by the sensor that the earphone is not in the user's ear. Related and other aspects also are described.

An earbud for detecting biosignals from and presenting audio signals at an inner ear canal and method therefor are disclosed. The earbud includes a nozzle and a housing including a body. The nozzle extends from the housing body and has a proximal end arranged for positioning within an inner ear canal of an individual. An earbud tip of the earbud attaches to the proximal end of the nozzle and is adapted to engage the inner ear canal. The earbud includes a speaker and various sensors including an infrasonic/vibration sensor. The infrasonic/vibration sensor detects the biosignals including infrasonic signals from the body of the individual in the canal, and the speaker transmits sound from an audio source into the canal via the nozzle. The earbud preferably seals the inner ear canal to block external sound while also decreasing an acoustic volume of the canal that amplifies the biosignals prior to detection.